Use of Social Media for Knowledge Sharing Among Students

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Use of Social Media for Knowledge Sharing Among Students

Funmilola O. Omotayo¹ and Olugboyega M. Salami² Africa Regional Centre for Information Science,University of Ibadan, Nigeria

E-Mail: [email protected], [email protected] Abstract - The world of research requires researchers, students

to share knowledge. With the invention of social media, knowledge sharing process has been more effective and easier.

This study examined the usage of social media for knowledge sharing among students of the Polytechnic Ibadan, Nigeria.

Descriptive survey research design was adopted, while stratified random sampling technique was adopted to select the students. Four hundred and thirty four copies of questionnaire were administered, while 301 were retrieved and 271 copies found useful for data analysis. Data was analysed using frequencies and percentage distribution, Spearman’s rank correlation, Kruskal Wallis test, and Chi-Square. Findings reveal that Facebook and Whatsapp are the widely used social media tools for knowledge sharing by the students. The study found significant relationship between social influence and attitude towards using social media for knowledge sharing, as well as significant relationship between attitude and use of social media for knowledge sharing.The study recommends that institutions should exploit the proliferation of social media and its use to set up off-class student-student and student- lecturer discussion groups, which could help encourage and promote knowledge sharing, and thereby help students in achieving good academic outcomes.

Keywords: Attitude, Knowledge Sharing, Nigeria, Polytechnic Students, Social Influence, Social Media

I. INTRODUCTION

Knowledge has always beenseen as one of the key strategic resources that can produce sustained long-term competitive advantage. Negroponte (1995) conceived the concept of knowledge as the most recent input factor for business organisations and a key to their future competitiveness, hence, the management of knowledge has been a focal point of discussion over the past decades. In recent years, the importance of Knowledge management (KM) has been widely recognized as the foundations of industrialized economies shifted from natural resources to intellectual assets. KM describes the processes of acquiring, developing, sharing, exploiting and protecting organisational knowledge to improve organisations’

competitiveness. The importance of KM as a critical tool in organisation and the society can therefore not be overemphasised. Teng and Song (2011) opined that the importance of KM is no longer restricted to knowledge intensive firms in the high-tech industries, but to all sectors of the economy. In essence, KM is beneficial to all sectors, be it educational, banking, telecommunications, production/manufacturing, and the public sectors. KM is an umbrella which covers various components such as knowledge creation, knowledge generation, knowledge acquisition and knowledge sharing (Pearlson and Saunders,

2009);however, the exchange of knowledge is a vital part of knowledge management.

Knowledge Sharing (KS) is a social interaction culture, involving the exchange of knowledge, experiences and skills. It is an activity through which knowledge (information, skills, or expertise) is exchanged among people, friends, families, communities or organisations. KS is considered the most prominent in the KM processcompared to other components because it is very difficult to attain and encourage people to share knowledge (Gupta, 2008). Nonaka (1994) contributed that individuals sharing knowledge with each other is what drives knowledge creation. Wei, Choy, Chew and Yen (2012) explained that KS is the dissemination or exchange of explicit or tacit knowledge, ideas, experiences or even skills from one individual to another individual; while Cheng, Ho and Lau (2009) posited that KS is about communicating knowledge within a group of people. It is therefore fair to state that KS is a key element in the survival of any cultural system. This study focused on KS because the degree to which a KM initiative becomes successful depends on KS (Wang and Noe, 2010). Sharing knowledge occurs when people are genuinely interested in helping one another develop new capacities for action; it is about creating learning processes. Generally, a KS practice is about communicating knowledge within a group of people (Cheng, Ho and Lau, 2009).

There are three generations of KS, identified by Bellefroid (2012). The first generation is the traditional way of KS, which is the concept of codification and storage. This can easily be supported by information technologies. The second generation focuses on the social component;

personalisation and the way people co-operate and communicate. Formal and informal opportunities can be used like mentoring, coaching or face-to-face meetings.

Codification is mostly used as a starting point, where new employees can find out what employees know and what knowledge is available. Personalisation is used to see the application of the available knowledge. The third generation focuses on social networks, which are the new ways to get in touch with experts and to search for knowledge outside the organisation. Using social media tools has been found to enable less physical contact between employees (Gaálet al., 2015).

KS is highly encouraged because it involves people to contribute and participate in knowledge production which can later be accessed, retrieved and stored for future use.

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Furthermore, individuals share what they have learned and transfer what they know to those who have a collective interest and those who have found the knowledge useful;

and generally the value of knowledge expands when it is shared (Cheng, Ho, and Lau, 2009). There is a diversity of technologies used as effective tools to support students’

educational learning and KS. Among these technologies are social media. Social media tools are online collaborative tools that enable people to communicate, participate, collaborate and thus share information (Harinarayana and Raju, 2010; Kellyet al., 2009; Kim and Abbas, 2010). The last few years have seen dramatic increases in the presence and use of social media, which is defined by Kaplan and Haenlein (2010, p. 61) as a “g roup of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, turning communication into interactive dialogue by allowing the creation and exchange of user-generated content”. Social media has indeed allowed people to express themselves through blogs, websites, social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, Instagram, Flicker, YouTube, 2go, Badoo, LinkedIn etc.).Abdulsalam and Asisah (2012) defined social media as a variety of technologies that support the social aspects of the Internet as a channel for communication, collaboration, and interaction.

Social media emphasise active participation, connectivity, collaboration, as well as sharing of knowledge and ideas among users. They are used as educational tools in institutions. Social media enhance learning experience by enabling students and teachers to connect and interact in new ways beyond the classroom. Social media, such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Wikis, Google+ promote collaboration, KS and discussion, and students have embraced them as a means to ask questions, share knowledge and exchange ideas.

Web-based social media makes it possible to connect people who share interest and activities, across political, economic and geographical borders through instant messaging.

Scholars such as Laroseet al. (2011); Boyd and Ellison (2008) have highlighted the implication of social networking sites use in schools. They submitted that social networking sites are not only beneficial to students, but can also provide new opportunities for participatory communication among teachers and students. This point seems to be accurate to the extent that there are various instances where teachers and students communicate on social networking sites like Facebook about classroom activities. Therefore, the development that social media tools have brought to modern society at large cannot be over emphasised. It has made difficult task very easy at the click of a button and what anyone could not believe would be achieved in decades is now been achieved and actualised within split seconds. Social media tools have paved way for millions of people across the world to locate, connect, make friends, share ideas, solicit supports, and mobilise people with similar interest. These tools have redefined the way news is presented to the public and the way people communicate across the world.

Social media in education are used to foster learning by allowing for social interactions, active participation and engagements of students in classroom discussion, communication (blended/online courses and social media solutions). Social media, such as like Facebook and Twitter, Yahoo Messenger, LinkedIn, etc. grew seriously consolidating with different applications focusing on knowledge information, instruction or training. Instant news report and appropriateness makes the aim that could be used speedily and reliable, but the variation disposition makes it hard for school system to keep abreast and offset. Students are able to make use of social media tools in order to increase range and richness of their networks, gather information and nowadays, increasingly organisations are finding ways of integrating social media into their business processes (Gaálet al., 2015).

Social media tools utilisation has become part of everyday activities within higher learning institutions. These tools are used to turn communication into interactive discussions among like-minded people (Hislop, 2013). Individuals and researchers within higher learning institution can formulate various groups, discuss and share knowledge by using the tools. Hence, through the utilisation of social media tools, higher learning institutions can easily facilitate flow, transfer, communication and sharing of knowledge. In Nigerian tertiary institutions, social media tools have afforded both students and lecturers lots of opportunities of which they never dreamt of. Lecturers and students can better relate well online without visible contact. Lectures can be conducted online anywhere and at any time at the lecturers’convenience;and assignments can also be submitted online without much ado. Results can also be checked online, while students who lack self-confidence or feel shy to ask questions in class can better express him/herself one on one with the lecturer without any fear. In addition, stress of students’ registration is reduced, and there is a better forum for lecturer-student relationship. It is therefore vital for higher institutions to leverage social media tools to enhance and improve the quality of their services (Davis et al., 2012).

It has been argued that social media use, as learning tools is promising because youths’ participation with social media fosters learning that reinforces and complements what is taught in traditional classrooms. However, while social media appears to present a new world of opportunities in education, it also presents a new wave of potential problems in both the short and long-term future. The problem remains that, both in the developed world and in a developing country like Nigeria, the full benefits of social media in the education arena is still conjectural, and this requires further research for better understanding and effective implementation. If social media is used by a large percentage of the population to increase networks and gather information, and is finding its way into the business world, and KS is one of the major advantages of the use of social media, then it is most likely that the use of social media will be positively related to KS.

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This study was, therefore, carried out to highlight the potential advantages and consequences of social media use by students. It is necessary at this point to understand this study within the broader scope of media and education before properly foregrounding it in the social media context.The Nigerian government is putting a lot of emphasis on educating a new breed of citizens who are well prepared to play an effective role in the knowledge society because of the realisation that students are the most crucial segment of a society and the main driving force for future growth and development. To realise this goal, students are expected to fully understand and appreciate the role of KS in learning and development. It would, therefore, be interesting to study the KS patterns of students in aNigeria tertiary institution. It is expected that this study would help contribute in developing a general understanding about the KSbehaviour of students, which will help educators select appropriate learning approaches to encourage more interaction and KS among students.This study, thus, investigated the use of social media for KSamong full time students of the Polytechnic Ibadan, Nigeria. The study also investigated the factors that influenced the use of social media for KS among the students with a view to provide useful insights for students to plan and implement effective research and KS practices. The study also provides insight into the types of social media used for KSby the students.

II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Several researches have been conducted about using social media and Web 2.0 in the workplace for sharing knowledge.

Eid and Al-Jabri (2016) examined the various categories of SNS use including chatting and online discussion, creating knowledge and information content, file sharing, and enjoyment and entertainment by tertiary students at a University in Saudi Arabia. The study also investigated the impact of these categories of SNS use on knowledge sharing and learning performance. The results show that there were significant positive relationships between both chatting and online discussion and file sharing and knowledge sharing, and entertainment and enjoyment with student learning.

Akbari, Eghtesad and Simons (2012) investigated students’

attitudes towards the use of social networks for learning the English language. The results indicated that there is a significant difference between participants’ attitudes before and after the course. The majority of participants considered Facebook to be generally useful because through these networks, they can communicate and share knowledge. In addition, most students stated that, Facebook had high potentials for being used as effective formal educational tools, and that student’ positive attitudes towards the usefulness of social networks increased. The study further confirmed that the students considered social networks to be highly effective and potential educational tools, especially for improving linguistic knowledge and performance in various online contexts and activities.

John (2017) investigated what student attitudes are toward using social media in the classroom and if those attitudes

influenced how they perceive instructors using social media in the classroom. Results showed that students held a positive attitude toward using social media if the participation was voluntary. Wilson and Boldeman (2012) explored the value of integrating ICT in the form of Web 2.0 technologies to enhance young people's engagement with the subject of science. The findings suggested that ICT integration is effective in revitalising science education interest for disengaged young people, and that it had wider implications in relation to general concerns of declining student interest and participation in science in the secondary years of schooling.Lampe et al. (2011) examined how undergraduate students used Facebook to engage in classroom related collaborative activities, such as arranging study groups and learning about course processes. The research was done in order to learn how Facebook might be used as an informal tool that students use to organise their class room experiences and explored the factors that predicted type of use. Results reveal that the predictors of Facebook use for class organising behaviors include self- efficacy and perceived motivation to communicate with others using the site. When placed in the context of social and psychological factors, Facebook intensity did not predict either positive or negative collaboration, suggesting that how students used the site, rather than how often they used the tool or how important they felt it was, affected their propensity to collaborate.

La Rose et al. (2011) investigated the relationship between social networking sites use and academic, social and psychological adjustment in a population of first year college students in the United States. The study found that compulsive use of social networking sites had a negative relationship with all academic adjustment dimensions (motivation, performance, attachment). Thus, compulsive use is what is potentially problematic for educational outcome rather than habitual involvement with social networking sites particularly, amongst first year college students in the United States.Hung, and Yuen (2010) explored how social networking technology can be used to supplement face-to face courses as a means of enhancing student’s sense of community and, to promote classroom communication practice in the context of higher education.

The study indicated that the majority of participants developed strong feelings of social connectedness and expressed favourable feelings regarding their learning experiences in the classes where social networking sites were used as a supplementary tool.

Al-Bahrani, Patel and Sheridan (2015) examined the views of students of three academic institutions on incorporating social media in the classroom. The results show that students had the strongest presence, in descending order, on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. However, based on their utilisation preferences, these media were ranked as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube respectively. The results indicated that students were concerned with privacy, but were more willing to connect with faculty if the connection is “one-way” and participate

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if social media is a voluntary part of class. The survey also found that the students used their social media accounts more frequently than email or Learning Management Systems. A survey conducted in 2011 by the Babson Survey Research Group drawing from 1000 college and University faculty members throughout the United States reveal that more than 80 percent used social networking sites in some capacity (Facebook, YouTube, Wiki,etc.). More than half of the faculty members usedsocial networking site as part of their teaching. Thirty percent use social networking sites to communicate with their students, while more than 52 percent use online videos, blogs and Wikis during actual class time. Abodunrin (2017) investigated the use of social media for KS among students of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Findings reveal that the students used social media platforms, such as Whatsapp and Facebook, to share knowledge. Fasae and Adegbilero-Iwari (2016) investigated the use of social media for academic practices by science students of public universities in Southwest Nigeria. The results reveal that, among the various social media networks available, Facebook was the most recognised and most famous, followed by Google+ and Twitter. Two-third of the students made use of social media daily to remain up-to-date with trending events/news and to share knowledge.

These studies were able to bring out the fact that social media tools are being used by students to share knowledge.

It can then be concluded that social media is an effective tool for knowledge sharing among students. Hence, institutions of learning should exploit the proliferation of social media and its use by the students to set up off-class students-students and students-lecturer discussion groups to build on class teachings, make learning easier and encourage KS the more so as to achieve better learning and academic outcomes.

III.CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

The conceptual framework for the study is shown in Figure 1. The framework shows relationships among the independent and dependent variable. The framework posits that the experience of the students, their social influence, and demographic characteristics could have influence on their attitudes towards KS. The framework also shows that the experience of the students and their attitudes could influence their KSbehaviour.

Fig. 1 Conceptual Framework

A. Influence of User Experience on Attitude and Use of Social Media for KS

According to Ngai, Spencer and Moon (2015), user experience is an input variable pertinent to users’

involvement and time engaged in the social media. Chen (2010) studied the behaviour of Twitter users by utilising the uses and gratifications approach and found that the more time users spent on Twitter, the more they gratified a need for connection with others and, in turn, the more they engaged in the use of social media. It is therefore proposed that the more experienced the Polytechnic students are with the use of social media, the more likely the media will influence their attitude and use of the media to share knowledge. It is therefore hypothesized that:

H1:There is a significant relationship between user experience and attitude towards using social media for KS.

H2:There is a significant relationship between user experience and use of social media for KS.

B. Influence of Attitude on Use of Social Media for KS Attitude towards behaviour is the degree to which performance of the behaviour is positively or negatively valued. It is “an individual's positive or negative feelings about performing a behaviour” (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975, p. 216). It is determined through an assessment of one's beliefs regarding the consequences arising from abehaviour and an evaluation of the desirability of these consequences.

Researchers have noted attitude as the driver of performance and use of technologies. Generally, an ICT that an individual has a positive attitude towards is more likely to be utilised by the individual than the one he/she has a negative attitude towards. Many studies (Draškovic, Korper and Kilian-Yasin, 2017; Lee, Baring, Maria and Reysen, 2017; Johnston, Chen & Hauman, 2013; Williams and Adesope, 2017) have found relationships between attitude and use of various ICTs and social media. Another hypothesis is thus proposed:

Ho3:There is a significant relationship between attitude of the Polytechnic students and use of social media for KS.

C. Influence of Social Influence on Attitude towards Using Social Media for KS

Social influence is another input factor which can influence the level of KS among student of higher learning. It comprises of subjective norms, group norms, and social identity which has been frequently used to study users’ or customers’ motives in pursuing certain acts and behavioural changes. Venkatesh et al. (2003) defined social influence as the degree to which an individual perceives that important others believe he or she should use the new system. The construct contains the explicit or implicit notion that the individual’s behaviour is influenced by the way in which they believe others will view them as a result of having used the technology. It is assumed that the attitude of the students towards use of social media to share knowledge could be influenced by their friends, lecturers, classmates, etc. It is therefore hypothesized that:

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Ho4: There is a significant relationship between social influence and attitude of the students to use social media for KS.

D. Influence of Demographic Characteristics on Use of Social Media for KS

Demographic characteristics can be conceptualised as socioeconomic characteristics of a population expressed statistically, such as age, gender, educational level, income level, marital status, occupation, religion, etc. Many studies have looked into the influence of demographic variables on KS. For example, Riege (2005) identified three-dozen factors that influence KS, among which are ages, gender, educational, and experience levels. Lin (2006) found that women are more willing to share knowledge because they are more sensitive to instrumental ties and due to the need to overcome traditional occupational hurdles. Islam et al.

(2013) looked at KSB of faculty members of some universities in Bangladesh with different education qualifications. This study also examines the influence of gender, course of study and level of study of the students as factors that could influence their attitudes toward using social media for KS. Therefore it is hypothesised that:

Ho5: There is a significant relationship between gender of the students and their attitude towards using social media for KS.

Ho6: There is a significant relationship between course of study of the students and their attitude towards using social media for KS.

Ho7: There is a significant relationship between level of study of the students and their attitude towards using social media for KS.

IV. METHODOLOGY

The study adopted the descriptive survey research design.

The population of study is the students of the Polytechnic, Ibadan, Nigeria. The Polytechnic was established in 1970 as a successor to the erstwhile Technical College, Ibadan under the provisions of a principal Edict cited as the Polytechnic, Ibadan Edict 1970. The primary function of the Polytechnic is to provide for students training and development of techniques in applied science, engineering, environmental science and commerce. The Polytechnic is primarily residential with halls of residence for both male and female students. A total of 8682 regular students of the Polytechnic, Ibadan (OND= 5296; HND=3386) were in the institution as at 2017, according to information got from the Director of Academic Planning and Control unit of the institution. The institution consists of five faculties: Business

& Communication Engineering, Environmental Studies, Financial & Management Studies and Sciences. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select the sample.

Five percent of students were selected from each of the faculties.

Data was collected by the use of questionnaire in which the researcher administered face to face to the respondents. The questionnaire was in six parts. Section A elicited

background information such as status, age, gender, level and course of study of respondents. Section B was used to elicit information on respondents’ user’s experience.

Section C was used to elicit information on attitude towards use of social media for KS. Section D elicited information on social media use by students while section E elicited information on respondents‟ social influence and lastly Section F elicited information on the use of social media for KS. The instrument was validated by two researchers at the University of Ibadan to ascertain the face and content validity. The reliability of the instruments was determined using the CronbachAlpha Coefficient. The survey instrument demonstrated high reliability. The reliability analysis is presented in Table I.

TABLE ISUMMARY OF ALPHA LEVELS FOR THE ADOPTED AND MODIFIED

SCALES

Variables Alpha

Valves

Number of Items Attitude towards using Social

Media for Knowledge Sharing 0.787 7 Social Media Use by Students 0.839 13

Social Influence 0.627 4

Knowledge Sharing Behaviour 0.645 5 Four hundred and thirty four copies 434 copies of questionnaire were administered with the help of a research assistant. At the end, 301 copies were retrieved, while 271 copies were considered fit for analysis, giving a r esponse rate of 62.5%. The study was conducted by following strict ethical principles that govern the proper conduct of social research. The respondents’ right for confidentially and privacy was taken into consideration in the process of designing and administering the questionnaire. Efforts were made to ensure that the respondents were not exposed to conditions that could bring harm to them, and they were given the free will to choose whether to participate in the study or not. Data was analysed using frequency counts and Percentages, while the hypotheses were analysed by Spearman Correlation, Chi-Square, and Kruskal Wallis.

V. RESULTS

A. Socio-Demographic Characteristics of the Respondents This section presents information about the gender, age, course of study, mode of study and level of study of the respondents. The information provided here were analysed using frequency count and percentages. Findings revealed that 130 representing (48%) of the respondents were male while 141 r epresenting (52%) were female. It was also revealed that 74 (27.3%) of the respondents were between age 15-20, 145 (53.5%) were between age 21-25, 46 (17%) were between age 26-30, while 6(2.2%) were between age 31-35. Results showed that 58 (21.4%) of the respondents were studying Office Technology Management, 30 (11.1%) studying Mass Communication, 29(10.7%) studying Urban Regional Planning, 46 (17%) studying Science Laboratory Technology, 31(11.4%) studying Computer Science, 9(3.3%) studying Architecture, 27 (10%) studying

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Accounting, 8 (3%) studying B anking and Finance, 15 (5.5%) studying Civil Engineering, while 18(6.6%) were studying Computer Engineering. Results also showed that

53(19.6%) of the respondents are in ND I, 105(38.7%) are in ND II, 70(25.8%) are in HND I, while 43(15.9%) are in HND II. The results are presented in the Table II.

TABLEIIFREQUENCYDISTRIBUTIONOFTHERESPONDENTS

Respondents’ Demographics Variable Frequency Percentage (%)

Gender

Male 130 48.0

Female 141 52.0

Total 271 100.0

Age

15-20 years 74 27.3

21-25 years 145 53.5

26-30 years 46 17.0

31-35 years 6 2.2

Total 271 100

Course of Study

Office Technology Management 58 21.4

Mass Communication 30 11.1

Urban Regional Planning 29 10.7

Science Laboratory Technology 46 17.0

Computer Science 31 11.4

Architecture 9 3.3

Accounting 27 10.0

Banking and Finance 8 3.0

Civil Engineering 15 5.5

Computer Engineering 18 6.6

Total 271 100

Level of Study

ND I 53 19.6

ND II 105 38.7

HND I 70 25.8

HND II 43 15.9

Total 271 100.0

More female (52.0%) than male (48.0%) participated in this study. Students who were in the age category of 21-25 were the majority (53.5%). Furthermore, students studying Office

Technology Management were more represented than the other courses, while the ND II students constituted the majority (38.7%).

TABLEIIITYPESOFSOCIALMEDIAUSEDBYTHESTUDENTS

Social Media Every Day Once a week Fortnightly Only on weekends Not At all Mean Standard Deviation

Facebook 202 (74.5%) 32 (11.8%) 7 (2.6%) 12(4.4%) 11(4.1%) 4.85 1.028

Whatsapp 195 (72.0%) 35 (12.9%) 6(2.2%) 4(1.5%) 22(8.1%) 4.82 1.170

Snapchat 5 (1.8%) 12 (4.4%) 12(4.4%) 12(4.4%) 230 (84.9%) 4.66 0.896

Pinterest 19(7.0%) 21 (7.7%) 11(4.1%) 17(6.3%) 200 (73.8%) 4.34 1.278

LinkedIn 18 (6.6%) 23 (8.5%) 19(7.0%) 18(6.6%) 189 (69.7%) 4.26 1.291

Yahoo messenger 29 (10.7%) 24 (8.9%) 17 (6.3%) 17(6.3%) 183 (67.5%) 4.11 1.434

Twittter 25 (9.2%) 26 (9.6%) 21(7.7%) 19(7%) 176 (64.9%) 4.10 1.402

Imo 40 14.8%) 31 (11.4%) 16(5.9%) 11 (4.1%) 172 (63.5%) 3.90 1.578

Youtube 38 (14.0%) 37 (13.7%) 22(8.1%) 11(4.1%) 163 (60.1%) 3.83 1.572

Instagram 56 (20.7%) 35 (12.9%) 17(6.3%) 12(4.4%) 150 (55.4%) 3.61 1.692

Google+ 65 (24%) 38(14%) 16(5.9%) 12(4.4%) 139 (51.3%) 3.45 1.736

Tumblr 3 (1.1%) 5(1.8%) 3(1.1%) 6(2.2%) 251 (92.6%) 1.55 0.628

Periscope 1 (0.4%) 7(2.6%) 8(3.0%) 8(3.0%) 244(90.0%) 1.46 0.642

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Table III shows the results of the various types of social media usedby the students to share knowledge. The results reveals that majority of the students used Facebook (74.5%) and Whatsapp (72.0%) every day. However, the students did not use the other types of social media tools like they used Facebook and Whatsapp. Thus the students mainly used Facebook and Whatsapp whereas the other types of social media tools were minimally used by them. Result indicates that the item “Tumblr” has the highest compared to others (µ=4.85).

B. Test of Hypotheses

All hypotheses stated were tested in null form, posing the assumption that a significant relationship does not exist between the independent and dependent variables. The hypotheses in the alternative form assume that a significant relationship exists between the concerned variables. The level of significance was pre-set to 5%, if p obtained <0.05,

the null hypothesis was rejected while the null hypothesis was not rejected if p obtained >0.05.

Ho1: There is no significant relationship between user experience and attitude towards using social media for KS.

Table IV presents the results of null hypothesis 1.

There is no significant relationship between user’s experience and attitude towards using social media for KS (p=0.197>0.05). Thus, the null hypothesis is accepted and the alternative hypothesis rejected. This implies that the students’experiences have no significant relationship their attitudes toward using social media for KS.

Ho2: There is no significant relationship between user experience and use of social media for KS. Null hypothesis 2 was also tested using Kruskal Wallis as presented in Table V.

TABLE IV USER EXPERIENCE AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS USING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR KS

Krustal Wallis Test User

Experience N Mean Rank

Correlation Coefficient

P value Attitude

towards using social media for Knowledge sharing

1-5 53 128.92 4.674 .197

6-10 143 130.15 11-15 52 139.84 16-20 20 166.50 Total 268

TABLE VUSER EXPERIENCE AND KS BEHAVIOUR

Kruskal Wallis Test User

Experience N Mean

Rank

Correlation Coefficient

P value Use of

Social Media for KS

1-5 54 114.94 4.705 .195

6-10 140 133.87

11-15 49 136.66

16-20 20 153.55

Total 263

The table reveals no significant relationship between user’s experience and KS behaviour of the students (p=0.195>0.05).

Thus, null hypothesis 2 is accepted and the alternative hypothesis rejected. This implies that the experience of the students has no effect on their use of social media for KS.

Ho3: There is no significant relationship between attitude of the Polytechnic students and use of social media for KS.Table VI presents the results of null hypothesis 3.

TABLE VI CORRELATION BETWEEN ATTITUDE AND USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA FOR KS

Correlations

Attitude KSB

Spearman's rho

Attitude

Correlation Coefficient 1.000 .186^**

Sig. (2-tailed) . .003

N 268 260

KSB

Correlation Coefficient .186^** 1.000 Sig. (2-tailed) .003 .

N 260 263

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The study found a positive and significant relationship between attitude and use of social media for KS (r=0.186;

p=0.003< 0.05). Thus, the null hypothesis (Ho) is rejected and the alternative hypothesis (Ha) accepted.

Ho4:There is no significant relationship between social influence and attitude of the students to use social media for KS. Table VII presents the results of null hypothesis 4.

TABLE VII CORRELATION BETWEEN SOCIAL INFLUENCE AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS USING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR KS

Variables Social Influence

Attitude towards Using Social Media

for KS

Spearman's rho

Social Influence

Correlation Coefficient 1.000 .242^**

Sig. (2-tailed) . .000

N 268 265

Attitude towards using Social Media for KS

Correlation Coefficient .242^** 1.000

Sig. (2-tailed) .000 .

N 265 268

The results shows a positive and significant relationship between social influence and attitude towards using social media for KS (r=0.242; p=0.000>0.05). Thus, the null hypothesis 4 is rejected and the alternative hypothesis accepted.

Ho5:There is no significant relationship between gender of the students and their attitude towards using social media for KS. The result of Chi-Square to test the association between gender and attitude towards using social media for KS is presented in Table VIII.

TABLE VIII ASSOCIATION BETWEEN GENDER AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS USING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR KS

Value Df Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)

Pearson Chi-Square 2.506^a 2 .286

Likelihood Ratio 2.547 2 .280

Linear-by-Linear Association .358 1 .550

N of Valid Cases 269

Table VIIIshows that no significant relationship was found between the gender of the students and their attitudes towards using social media for KS. Thus, the null hypothesis is accepted.

Ho6:There is no significant relationship between course of study of the students and their attitude towards using social media for KS.

Null hypothesis 6 was tested using Chi-Square as presented in Table IX.

TABLE IX ASSOCIATION BETWEEN COURSE OF STUDY AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS USING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR KS

Result of the Chi-Square analysis reveal no significant relationship between course of study of the students and their attitudes toward using social media for KS(p>0.05).

Therefore, the null hypothesis is accepted.

Ho7: There is no significant relationship between level of study of the students and their attitudes toward using social media for KS.Relationship between level of study of the students and their attitudes toward using social media for KS was tested using Chi-square aspresented in Table X.

TABLE XASSOCIATION BETWEEN LEVEL OF STUDY AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS USING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR KS

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Result of the Chi-Square analysis reveal no significant relationship between level of study of students and their attitudes toward using social media for KS (p>0.05).

Therefore, the null hypothesis is accepted.

VI. DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

The study found that Facebookand Whatsapp were the social media tools that were used by the students to share knowledge, as majority of them used the tools every day.

Many studies (e.g. Abodunrin, 2017; Draškovic, KorperandKilian-Yasin, 2017; Fasae and Adegbilero- Iwari, 2016; Johnston, Chen and Hauman, 2013; Williams and Adesope, 2017, Wilson and Boldeman, 2012)have supported the fact that youths, especially students of higher institutions are prolific users of social media. Johnston, Chen andHauman (2013) also found that Facebook and Twitter were two social computing systems that have become increasingly popular among university students in Cape town, South Africa, and that Facebook was a more popular method for communication among the students.

Williams and Adesope (2017) also found that social media such as Facebook, Twitterand WhatsApp were used for educational purposes by students of University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. Supporting this claim is Wilson and Boldeman (2012) who posited that youth are ICT natives and as such are prolific users of technologies.

Abodunrin (2017) study revealed that students of University of Ibadan, Nigeria used social media platforms, such as Whatsapp and Facebook, to share knowledge. Fasae and Adegbilero-Iwari (2016) found thatscience students of public universities in Southwest Nigeria usedsocial media daily to remain up-to-date with trending events/news and to share knowledge.

The results of the test of hypotheses reveal that the demographic characteristics of students of the Polytechnic, Ibadan (gender, course of study, and level of study) do not have significant relationships with their attitudes towards using social media for KS. This finding may not be unconnected with the fact that students, irrespective of the gender, course of study and level of study need to share knowledge. In the same vein, the experiences of the students also did not influence their attitudes and use of social media for KS. However, findings show a positive and significant relationship exists between attitude of the students and use of social media to share knowledge. This means that when the students are favourably disposed to the use of social media, they will use it to share knowledge. The higher the attitude towards using social media for KS, the higher will be possibility of KS among the students of the Polytechnic, Ibadan. This finding is consistent with the findings of many previous studies, e.g. Ajzen(1991),Draškovic, Korper and Kilian-Yasin (2017),Leeet al. (2017),John (2017), Johnston, Chen andHauman (2013), and Williams and Adesope (2017).

In addition, the results show a positive and significant relationship between social influence and attitude of the students toward the use of social media for KS. This is

consistent with the findings of Masoumeh (2014) which established a r elationship between social factors and KS among students of private universities in Malaysia. Another study conducted by Zhou, Horrey, and Yu (2009) on the influence of social influence on behavioural action examined the intentions of pedestrians walking through traffic in China. The study found that pedestrians reported greater likelihood in crossing the road when other pedestrians were crossing the road, reinforcing the influence of social influence or norms on performing a behaviour. The study of Venkateshet al. (2003) has also established that social influence is one of the direct determinants of usage intention and behaviour. In addition, Zagata (2012) found the best predictors of the intention were attitudes toward the behaviour and the subjective norms of performing the behaviour. To provide more support showing the influence of attitudes and perceived behavioural control on intention to perform behaviour, Yang (2012) noted that social influence or subjective norms could impact significantly on attitude. This finding is also consistent with Ali, Yaacob, Endut, and Langove (2016) that social influence is a leading factor convincing students for the academic use of social media. The finding is also supported by Harden (2012) who submitted that social influence is positively related to intention to use and share knowledge in the workplace.The explanation for this result is based on the fact that positive effect of social influence resulted to positive attitude of the respondents to using social media for KS.

VII. CONCLUSION

This study has contributed to the existing body of knowledge by providing empirical data on the influence of social media on KSbehaviour of students. The study has been able to establish that attitude and social influence are factors that could motivate students to use social media for KS. The knowledge this study has contributed can help institutions administrators and policy makers to understand the attitude of students towards the use of technology for KS, and the factors that motivate the use of social media for KS among students. This would help put in place relevant policies for planning and implementation of good KS practices.

The focus on a single case study or single institution in this case, presents a ch allenge in generalising the findings to other institutions. Although the methods that are used to collect data may prove useful as a f ramework for future research, the findings from this study may not be widely generalised.In addition, social media is a growing and rapidly changing phenomenon and has been described as a

“moving target” because of the rapid changes that takes place due to regular technological innovations. Thus, the findings from this study may be limited to a specific time or period in the evolution and adoption of new media forms.

Future studies could be conducted between or across two or more federal, state, and/or polytechnics.Secondly, more variables can be investigated to know their influence on the use of social media for KS among students generally.

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